‘NewsCat’ brings smiles amid the tragedy of...

1of 6A cat walks past a bouquet of flowers at the base of a roadblock where law enforcement officials work at the scene of a shooting at the First Baptist Church of Sutherland Springs, Monday, Nov. 6, 2017, in Sutherland Springs, Texas. Nicknamed “NewsCat,” the cat has proved so friendly it’s interacted with various media members and law enforcement on the scene.Photo: Eric Gay /Associated Press

3of 6“NewsCat” has made fast friends with more than just media on the scene. A Texas state trooper pets the cat outside the First Baptist Church on Monday, Nov. 6, 2017, the day after a gunman killed more than two dozen people who were attending a church service there.Photo: Nick Wagner /Associated Press

4of 6The cat nicknamed “NewsCat” walks over broken glass as law enforcement officials work the scene of a shooting at the First Baptist Church Monday, Nov. 6, 2017, in Sutherland Springs, Texas. The cat has appeared in live television reports.Photo: Eric Gay /Associated Press

5of 6NewsCat got her name from Spectrum News San Antonio video journalist Alese Underwood, who took this photo Monday.Photo: Courtesy Alese Underwood

6of 6NewsCat wasn’t the only charming feline on the scene. Spectrum News San Antonio video journalists Alese Underwood and John Salazar also got up close and personal with an equally friendly tabby cat, which even entered the Spectrum News truck for a video.Photo: Courtesy Alese Underwood

The last thing any member of the media ever would expect to see at the site of the Sutherland Springs shooting was even the slightest lighthearted moment.

And yet there it was, on several occasions, courtesy a friendly and frisky feline that’s earned the nickname “NewsCat.”

Texas Public Radio reporter Joey Palacios posted on social media several snapshots of the affectionate cat, which has been seen roaming around the media tents and caution tapes as well as around the legs of reporters and law enforcement.

Spectrum News San Antonio video journalists Alese Underwood and John Salazar also have captured and shared pics of NewsCat, as well as shots of a bright orange and white cat one of their photographers called “Scratches,” which playfully pawed at Salazar’s pant leg while he was wrapping up a live shot and even hopped into the news truck for a video closeup posted on Salazar’s Facebook page.

And while neither cat would go on the record Thursday — NewsCat preferred rubs behind its ears, while Scratches last was seen darting off from two people walking by with dogs on leashes — various media members were more than happy to purr the cats’ praises for providing at least a brief respite from tragedy.

“Definitely a moment of normalcy,” said a CNN producer who did not want to be identified. “And me not being a cat person, I wouldn’t bend down and pet the cat, but I can still really appreciate that it’s cute and it’s here, and probably a lot of reporters and cameramen and producers and everyone on site knows about the cats. And they enjoy even if it’s 15 minutes of normalcy for us, being able to just laugh and appreciate the interaction.”

Before scooping up NewsCat for a cuddle, KSAT-TV news reporter Garrett Brnger said the massacre at First Baptist Church probably was the worst thing most media members there ever would cover.

“And the local furball brought a bit of a smile,” Brnger said.

Underwood not only bestowed the name NewsCat, she also gave Scratches, along with another gray cat seen at a nearby home, the hashtags #FakeNewsCat and, of course, #CopyCats.

“But they have made people smile,” Underwood said.

Palacios, who first spotted the NewsCat phenomenon via Underwood’s posts, likened the cat’s presence to that of a therapy dog.

“Something to brighten your day, given the circumstances,” Palacios said. “I think animals take away a lot of stress, a lot of grief.”

Paul Pierce could especially relate to the comparison.

Standing with his golden retriever therapy dog Duncan near a roadside row of white crosses erected for the victims, the Boston Children’s Hospital volunteer said he hadn’t seen NewsCat or its pals up close but had seen plenty of instances where Duncan had provided a similar soothing presence.

“I can speak on behalf of the dogs,” said Pierce, who with Duncan has visited family and friends of the shooting victims. “It diverts peoples’ attention. It takes them away from their grief, their sorrow, and puts it into another place of peace and comfort and joy.”

René A. Guzman is a features writer for the San Antonio Express-News. He writes about geek and pop culture as well as consumer gadgets and technology, and writes a blog called Geek Speak that covers comic books, tabletop gaming and other geek culture in San Antonio and beyond. He has also written about health and fitness and other consumer topics. In addition to the Express-News, Guzman's work has appeared in the Baltimore Sun, Beaumont Enterprise, Chicago Tribune, Houston Chronicle and San Francisco Chronicle. Before joining the Express-News in December 1998, the San Antonio native co-owned a college humor magazine named Bitter, for which he wrote, designed and edited, as well as distributed at various campuses and businesses citywide.